Dog finds crime scene evidence

By: Tinsley Tullos

When the discovery of a human skull was brought to the attention of a localLancasterCountyhomeowner, by his pet dog, police were notified. Investigations began Tuesday morning when police had reason to believe that the skull belonged to a missing S.C. woman by the name of Edith Cauthen. Her family, too upset to comment at the time of discovery, reported 68 year old Cauthen missing in mid-July.

Pictured above is Edith Cauthen, a 68 year old woman believed to have gone missing in mid-July. Remains have been found that may have a positive match to those of Cauthen.

The search for the remains of a body believed to match the skull took the South Carolina Foothills Search and Rescue and the Lancaster County STAR Team a total of about five hours before they finally located the body. The homeowner, shaken at the discovery of his pit-bull, claimed that Cauthen was often on different medications, drifting through the streets of their shared neighborhood. Deputies have not made a clear identity of the victim, but it is said that Cauthen has been missing after she was last seen walking near her home onOld Lynwood Drive. Remains were found onLynwood Drive.

It is unclear whether or not the death could have been caused by foul play. With the lingering thought of this death, there is little to say. The homeowner referred to his dog as a local hero, stating that if it wasn’t for him the body probably would have never been found. To determine the cause of death, remains have been sent to a pathologist in Newberry, S.C. Results should return in the next few days according to Lancaster County Sheriff, Barry Faille. “At this point, we believe it’s the missing woman reported by her family in July,” he said. “We don’t think there’s any foul play, but we don’t know for sure,” he says.

Special thanks goes to the many deputies including Maj. Matt Shaw, who received notice of the discovery, and surrounding community there is now one less question to be answered. If there is a definite match in the crime scene DNA, additional investigations will have to begin to find the cause of death. Until then, it remains unknown.